College Football Playoff

Where do the college football bowl game names originate?

Ahead of the upcoming college football bowl games, here's how their names originated.

NBC Universal, Inc.

The college football season is coming to a close.

But before it does, numerous bowl games are set to kick off and fans around the country are set to get rowdy.

Most of the time, the bowl game names have something to do with the state or city the game takes place. For instance, many of the Florida bowl games have something to do with citrus or oranges.

But before we crown a national champion, let’s break down the upcoming bowl game names:

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

The Gator Bowl was named after the Florida Gators football team — a team that has been playing in Gainesville since 1906. 

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl

The Sun Bowl is named after the Sun Bowl stadium on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

The Liberty Bowl is named after the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, both located in Philadelphia.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

The Cotton Bowl Classic is a play on the phrase "cotton boll.” It got its name because Texas is the leading producer of cotton in the United States.

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

The Peach Bowl was chosen to honor Georgia’s peach industry, which is one of the largest in the country.

TransPerfect Music City Bowl

The Music City Bowl came from the phrase “Music City” -- a nickname for Nashville -- which is known for its vibrant music scene and is the home to many famous music venues and studios.

Capital One Orange Bowl

The Orange Bowl got its name to honor Florida's orange groves and the fruit’s importance to the state’s economy.

Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl

The Arizona Bowl is a simple reference to the state of Arizona, where the game is held.

ReliaQuest Bowl

This bowl game was first the Hall of Fame Bowl (1986-1995) then became Outback Bowl (1996-2022). In June 2022 it became ReliaQuest, a Tampa-based cyber security company.

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl

The name Fiesta Bowl came to be when the Western Athletic Conference was upset that its champions in 1968 and 1969 were not invited to any bowl. The conference's supporters created the Fiesta Bowl, which initially guaranteed an invite for its champion.

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl

 The name Cirtus Bowl is a nod to the state of Florida's citrus industry.

Rose Bowl (CFP semifinal)

The name Rose Bowl comes from the stadium’s bowl-shaped design which is also the prototype of many football arenas in the U.S.

Allstate Sugar Bowl (CFP semifinal)

The name Sugar Bowl comes from the location of the first game's ground being built on land where sugar was crystallized in the past.

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